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May 7, 2011

G33: Red Sox 4, Twins 0

Buchholz (5-2-0-1-6, 61) returned to the mound after a 2:07 rain delay and gave the Red Sox three additional innings before turning it over to the bullpen (which allowed only one hit and one walk in the final four frames).

Only one Twins runner made it past first base.

Jacoby Ellsbury started the first inning with a double (16-game hit streak!), stole third as part of a double steal with Dustin Pedroia, and scored on Jed Lowrie's two-out single to left.

The tarp came out after two innings were complete. In the home third, Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double to right field and scored on Kevin Youkilis's single off the Wall.

Boston got some insurance in the eighth. With two outs, Jarrod Saltalamachia and Carl Crawford (2-for-4) singled. J.D. Drew, pinch-hitting for Marco Scutaro (2-for-3), walked on four pitches to load the bases. Ellsbury then lined a single to center to score two runs.

Duensing has pitched out of the pen in the past against the Red Sox, but this is his first start against them.

In their last three games (all losses), Boston has been outscored 25-5.

Jacoby Ellsbury's 15-game hitting streak is the longest active streak in the AL. ... Andre Ethier of the Dodgers extended his streak to 30 games last night. ... Cliff Lee struck out 16 Atlanta batters in only seven innings last night.

I had the TV on "The Baseball Show" and CHB said the last time there were two balks in one game in Boston was 1949. I knew that could not possibly be right so I checked and found the stat he obviously read and then misquoted: 1949 was the last time they balked in two RUNS in a game. But I really think Dan thinks what he was saying was right.

Explanation of my Stockton comment: With two outs, Scutaro takes his sweet time on a routine grounder, and the runner beats his throw barely. Stockton, however, despite the clear safe call and the fielders all staying on the field, is calling it like he was out, saying "throws him out to retire the side, it's a one-two-three inning" before finally noticing the runner was safe.

RSDH made a bingo card that would give you the Remy pic when you clicked a box, but I am sorry to report that the uploading instructions she sent me made me glaze over in 0.8 seconds and I basically forgot about it, which isn't very nice because I'm sure she put a lot of work into it.